Hamstring Strengthening Exercises

The following set of yoga poses can be used as hamstring strengthening exercises. They work the hamstrings in a variety of different positions for developing all round hamstring strength. This may help improve hamstring flexibility.

Extended Cat Pose for Hamstring Strengthening

The first exercise is extended cat pose (shown at the right).

While on all fours, reach one leg back with the knee straight and pointing downwards. Pull the sacrum forwards (to arch the lower back) and then slowly lift the back leg higher.

This actually strengthens all the posterior chain if you focus on using the spinal erectors to bend the spine backwards (focus on drawing the sacrum forwards) and in addition use both the butt muscle and the hamstrings to lift the leg higher.

Work at lifting slowly and hold for a breath or two then lower and do the other side, repeating both sides 5 or more times.

An option to add a balance component is to shift weight to the down leg side and lift the arm on the same side as the lifted leg.

Counterpose For Extended Cat Pose

A possible counterpose is to tuck the toes under and lift the knees less than an inch off of the floor.

For a fun challenge see how little you can lift the knees as an exercise in body awareness. Try for a 1mm lift.

Reverse Plank Hamstring Strengthening Exercise

Sitting with your hands on the floor behind you and your legs straight forwards, the next hamstring strengthening exercise is to press the heels down so that the butt and legs lift up.

Prior to lifting, activate your hamstrings and glutes first.

Then press your heels down to lift your hips.

To work into this gradually try pressing the heels down slowly and stop just your butt is about to leave the floor and then lower.

Repeat this a few times.

Then:

First squeeze the shoulder blades together.

Open and lift the chest

Then press the heels down to gradually lift the hips higher.

For the last repetition you can hold for a slow count of five or more.

Hamstring Strengthening While In Seated Forward Bend

While bending forwards, start with your hands on the floor, close to your hips (as opposed to closer to your feet):

Press the knees down into the floor,

Open your chest. (Reach it away from your pubic bone!)

Then relax.

Repeat a few times. Then after opening the chest:

Lift your hands, pause

Then reach your arms forwards to further load the hamstrings.

Then put the hands on the floor close to your hips

Relax your legs.

Once you get used to the exercise you can start with your hands closer to your feet.

Using Table Top Pose to Strengthen the Buttocks

To turn table top into a hamstring strengthening exercise, sit with your hands on the floor behind you and with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Slowly press down with the feet so that your butt leaves the floor,

Then lower and relax.

Repeat a few times, noticing the feeling of increased pressure in your feet as you lift and also the increase in tension in your thighs.

Each repetition lift a little higher and as you do so retract your shoulder blades and reach your chest up (out of the shoulders) and back, away from the knees.

Hold for the final rep, looking for space to push your hips and ribcage higher.

As a yoga teacher, I'm constantly exploring new exercises, new ways of doing yoga poses.

There is no single "right way" of doing a yoga pose. Instead, there are options. And the better you are at "feeling" your body, the better you can get at choosing the right option for your body as it is now.

For any technique, the point of practice is to learn feel it and to control it, so that it can be used without thinking about how to use it.

And that is more or less the approach taken in all of my ebooks and videos. They help you to feel your body and control it so that you can work towards using it effectively in anything that you do.